Five Supreme Court judges, including the current Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, who delivered the Constitution bench's decision leading to the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, have been extended special invitations as state guests for the consecration ceremony on January 22.
The bench, comprising former CJIs Ranjan Gogoi and SA Bobde, along with former judges Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer, delivered a historic unanimous and anonymous verdict on November 9, 2019. This landmark decision of these SC judges supported the construction of the Ram temple by a government trust at the disputed Ayodhya site. The verdict also stipulating the allocation of an alternative five-acre plot for a mosque.
The invite list from the Uttar Pradesh government boasts over 50 esteemed jurists, including former chief justices, SC judges, and prominent lawyers. Notably, the renowned ‘Ram Lalla' lawyer K Parasaran, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, and former Attorney General KK Venugopal are among the distinguished invitees.
The Special Secretary Protocol of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath extended these invitations to a diverse gathering, expecting a turnout of more than 7,000 attendees. The guest list spans politicians, celebrities, industrialists, and saints, promising a congregation of notable personalities at the auspicious occasion.
The consecration ceremony, scheduled for January 22, will witness the ‘Pran Pratishtha' of the Ram Lalla idol in the temple that is currently under construction in Ayodhya. The temple, holding profound significance in Hindu beliefs, is the culmination of a lengthy legal process, culminating in the historic decision by the five-judge bench.
Under the unanimous verdict, the land where the Babri Masjid once stood was allocated to the Hindu side, while Muslims were granted a separate parcel to build a mosque away from the contentious spot. The court, in its comprehensive 1,045-page verdict, emphasized that the evidence supporting the possessory claim of the Hindus “stands on a better footing than the evidence given by the Muslims,” settling a long-standing legal dispute.
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